Chapter 22: Sakhalina

After leaving the Taihe Building, Wei Ziguo, knowing that he hadn't been much help today, strongly insisted on treating everyone to drinks. Zhao Lan'an, who was in a bad mood, originally didn't want to go, but since it was dinner time and they couldn't get a cab, they had no choice but to hop into Wei Ziguo's flashy electric blue BMW 330i and speed off to a bar he highly praised—Sakhalin.

Sakhalina is said to be the name of a Russian girl, who is also the wife of the bar owner. Unfortunately, she lost her legs in a car accident. To cheer her up, the owner created this bar filled with fantastical elements and named it after her.

The biggest highlight of the bar is its design. Unlike traditional bars that adopt a single thematic style, in Sahalina, you can experience Hawaii one moment and then feel the Sahara the next. This is because the vast bar hall is composed of 27 completely different styled areas, each representing the ethnic characteristics of a country, providing an extremely visual and sensory experience.

According to Wei Ziguo, these 27 styles are the result of the bar owner and his wife traveling together to 27 countries. Those places bear the footprints of their love. Unfortunately, his wife has now lost her ability to travel, so she can no longer pursue these beautiful memories. Therefore, the owner simply decided to 'bring' them all back.

The authenticity of this story is unverifiable, but the mysteriousness of the owner of Sahalina has indeed touched many people. Therefore, Sahalina is also known as the "Bar of Love Pursuit," where some young people who still harbor fantasies about love come during their leisure time to meet their other half.

When Zhao Lianan and his group arrived here, it was still early, so there weren't many people in the bar. Following the suggestion of the regular customer Wei Ziguo, they chose a booth located in 'Alaska'.

The overall style of Alaska is predominantly white, with a huge screen wall featuring a 3D depiction of North America's highest peak, Mount McKinley. At first glance, it really looks like being at the foot of a snow-capped mountain. Surrounding the booths, there are some ice blocks that appear to be scattered but are actually arranged with great care.

"Whoa... I was wondering why this place was so cool, turns out this ice is real!"After Cao Zheng touched it with his hand, he said with a face full of surprise.

Wei Ziguo chuckled, "So, what do you think? Got some taste, right? On a scorching summer day, sitting on an ice mountain with a drink in hand, is there anything more enjoyable than this?"

"Don't get cocky. This is all you've got, huh? You're the best at eating, drinking, and having fun!"Cao Zheng said lightly, implying that he is not very reliable when it comes to handling serious matters.

He was ruthlessly mocked by someone, but Wei Ziguo just rolled his eyes in protest, not daring to get angry at all. One can imagine that this guy definitely has some dark memories he doesn't want to revisit, firmly held in the hands of the scheming Cao Fatty.

Because they hadn't eaten, the four of them ordered two cases of Carlsberg and a large amount of barbecue and fruit platters. They ate and drank while, around 8 PM, the bar gradually became busier, and the stage began to feature a series of entertainment performances.

After a pair of pure-looking beauties performed a cute and playful song "Orange Soda," Cao Zheng clicked his tongue and said, "Ziguo, do you think these kinds of girls would take orders to be showgirls? Although their figures are just okay, this type of pure-looking girl still has a market."

"Sure, just name your price. But don't say I didn't warn you, this 'Lemon Bala' group has participated in The Voice of China. Although they didn't make it to the finals, they still have some popularity here at the Zhonghai Arena. If you don't have 100,000 yuan for the appearance fee, don't even think about it."For anything even slightly related to the entertainment industry, Zhou Zigguo spoke about it as if he were recounting a well-known story.

"What's wrong with 100,000? If we really had to invite those five oddballs before, it would have cost us 110,000!" Cao Zheng said dismissively, then turned to Zhao An, who was drinking quietly, "Brother An, don't you think so?"

"Uh... let's see first."Zhao Lian'an couldn't be bothered to chat nonsense with him and just gave a casual response.

After three rounds of drinks, the bar was bustling with people, and it was starting to reach its peak hours. Suddenly, the music in the hall changed from a cheerful and refreshing style to a slow, not-so-wild DJ set. At the same time, four beautiful girls, dressed in white tank tops and hot denim shorts, took the stage.

"Wow, these four are so on point!"Cao Zheng, with his squinting eyes, stared unblinkingly at those long legs that kept swaying, his mind filled with all sorts of inappropriate thoughts, drooling as he spoke.

Young people are always easily attracted to such beautiful things. Zhao Lan'an was equally captivated, thoroughly enjoying the powerful song and dance. Even with his highly critical eye, which had become more discerning due to his background, these four girls were indeed impressive. With beautiful faces, alluring figures, and enchanting dance moves, they all managed to reach a level of over 70 points. Especially the lead dancer, a mixed-race girl with a high nose bridge and blue eyes, who, no matter how harshly Zhao Lan'an judged her, would at least score 90 points!

This was remarkable. For Zhao Lan'an, a master of otaku culture, he had some knowledge of certain celebrities and internet personalities, and in his memory, only a handful could reach such a score, not exceeding two hands' worth!

This was aWei Ziguo shook his head with a smile, "MysteryMaiden, the Enigmatic Girl. But I advise you not to get any ideas about them. The three next to her might still be negotiable, it's just a matter of price. But don't even think about the mixed-blood beauty in the middle."

"Why?" In Zhao An's view, isn't performing at a bar all about the money?Even An Ruoxi initially went to sing at Sakura Bar for the money. It is said that at that time, she had a falling out with her family, and her bank card was frozen. However, later for some unknown reason, she ended up staying.

Wei Ziguo pointed at the exquisitely beautiful mixed-race woman on stage, who looked almost unreal, and spoke like a data announcer: "Zheng Xiling, 22 years old, Sino-Russian mixed-race, fluent in Chinese, English, Russian, French, Japanese, and German, Grade 10 piano performer, professional dancer with the Shanghai Quentin Ballet Troupe, top student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, ambassador for the pro-Russian image at the 17th,

"Enough!" Zhao An interrupted him with a face full of black lines. This guy must have done his homework; it turns out he was the one most concerned about that person!

"Hehe," Wei Ziguo chuckled sheepishly, "What can I say? I've been coming to Sakhalin often, so I naturally noticed it a long time ago and asked around a bit."

"Slightly?" Zhao An asked, quite speechless. "Does that mean she's amazing? But even the best dancers should have a price, right?""

"NoNo, she's different."Wei Ziguo shook his head and said, "If you knew her family lived in Tangchen Yipin, you wouldn't say that. Besides, do you think you're the only one who noticed her?"A long time ago, talent scouts came looking for her, but she didn't care at all. There's even a rumor that she danced with Sakhalina because Sakhalina is her mom.